It's mid-August and 105 degrees here in dusty Phoenix, which means it's time for food companies across the national to start rolling out the most anticipated flavor of the year -- Pumpkin.

Just like department stores turning on the Christmas tunes before Halloween, coffee houses, doughnut shops, restaurants, and breweries start shifting their summertime selections over to the coveted fall flavor before the smoke's even cleared from our Labor Day BBQs. For example, Utah's Wasatch Brewing's Pumpkin Seasonal Ale hit the shelves of GCM Liquors on July 27. And Blue Moon's Pumpkin, Shock Top Pumpkin, and Sam Adam's Octoberfest (which, in true märzen style, shouldn't be served until October -- hence the name Octoberfest, but whatever) were soon to follow.

Octoberfest in July? Really?!

At least this year our favorite Tempe brew house, Four Peaks Brewing Company, is holding back its sought-after Pumpkin Porter just a little. Not by much, but at least until it's more seasonally appropriate. You know, like when it's technically fall.

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Anyway, enough bitching. What you're really here for is to find out when your favorite pumpkin beer will start flowing and we're about to tell you. The very first keg of Pumpkin Porter is scheduled to be tapped (drum roll, please) -- October 1.

Which is exactly when we want to drink pumpkin beer. Hooray!

Technically, it's only 12 day later than last year's release date, but releasing Pumpkin Porter in September seemed too soon, so we're stoked that they pushed it back this year. Plus, we're excited that we get to drink our first pint of the spicy porter on the patio of the brewery on a chilly 90 degree fall day instead of a balmy 100+ degree late summer afternoon.